OF NEW ENGLAND. 347 



ing, fall with a very certain aim, immediately rising, should 

 they fail, but, if successful, feeding upon the spot. Their 

 motions are characterized by ease and lightness, but their 

 wings seem too long for rapid motion. The Marsh Hawks 

 generally leave New England in autumn, and return in April. 

 In summer they are among the commonest of our hawks. 



(c7). Their love-note is an indescribable scream, which is 

 not, however, wholly characteristic, though distinct from any 

 of the buzzards. Their winter-notes, says Audubon, " are 

 sharp, and sound like the s}*llables pee, pee, vee, the first 

 slightly pronounced, the last louder, much prolonged, and 

 ending plaintively." 



II. FALCO 



(A) GYiiFALCO. Gyrfalcon. Gerfalcon. (Jerfakon.) 

 (In Massachusetts, an extremely rare winter-visitor.) 

 (a). About twenty four inches long. Everywhere white, 

 much marked with dark brown or black. Of several races, 

 variety islandicus is said to be the only one which occurs in 

 New England. In this form, white is especially predominant 

 on the head. 



(l>). The eggs are said to measure about 2*40 X 1'70 of an 

 inch, and to be much less darkly marked than those of the 

 Duck Hawk. The nests are built on cliffs. 



(c). Audubon describes as follows their habits in Labrador: 

 u Their flight resembled that of the Peregrine Falcon, but was 

 more elevated, majestic, and rapid. They rarely sailed when 

 travelling to and fro, but used a constant beat of their wings. 

 When over the Puffins, and high in the air, they would hover 

 almost motionless, as if watching the proper moment to close 

 their pinions, and when that arrived, they would descend al- 

 most perpendicularly on their unsuspecting victims. 



"Their cries also resembled those of the Peregrine Falcon, 

 being loud, shrill, and piercing. Now and then they would 

 alight on some of the high stakes placed on the shore as bea- 

 cons to the fishermen who visit the coast, and stand for a few 

 minutes, not erect like most other Hawks, but in the position 



